This invention relates to a printing system and, more particularly, the invention relates to a process and apparatus for sublimating at least one sublimable dye on a substrate carrier that may be cut to provide a plurality of labels.
In the past, printed fabric labels were made using a variety of well-known techniques, such as screen printing, off set lithography printing, dying, flexographic printing, thermal printing, ink jet printing, and the like. Several prior art methods and apparatuses for printing are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,776,714; 5,015,324; 5,150,130; 5,961,228; 4,640,191; and 4,541,340; and the Paxar Model 676 printer User Manual, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Some of these methods and apparatuses lend themselves to use with large scale commercial printing equipment on which large sheets or webs of fabric are printed, and then cut or slit into strips for fabric labels. These labels are suitable for use in garments for the purpose of decoration, identification, advertising, wash and care instructions, size, price, as well as other purposes.
Product labels utilized in garments typically endure several hundred washings in their lifetime and a garment that is dry-cleaned might be required to endure dozens of cleanings in its lifetime. The abuse to which such labels are subjected during industrial washing and dry-cleaning causes fraying and eventually obliteration of conventionally printed labels; yet, printing of such labels is highly desirable because labels can be printed at much higher speeds than they can be woven.
Sublimation printing basically involves applying a sublimation dye onto a substrate, such as a surface of a fabric. To perfect the transfer of the dye to the fabric, the fabric is carried through a curing operation in which the fabric is heated to sublime the dye. In the past, the fabric was typically heated on only one side by feeding the fabric over, for example, an anvil or past a lamp. U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,340 illustrates another system that uses a Xenon flash lamp to heat a printed side of the web. One of the problems with these approaches was that the fabric was not evenly heated.
Another problem with prior art approaches to curing the sublimable dye was that the fabric temperature was not closely monitored or controlled so that, for example, at start up, the fabric would be fed through the curing station before it had an opportunity to reach the necessary sublimation temperature. It is not uncommon that the web stopped when the web jammed, an upstream printing operation stopped, or a downstream cutting and label stacking operation stopped. Moreover, if the web stopped, the web would be exposed to excessive temperatures that could damage the web.
It is a primary object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for sublimating at least one sublimation dye on one or both sides of a web.
Another object of this invention provides a system for sublimating at least one sublimation dye on at least one side of a web, the system comprising a controller for controlling operation of a sublimation station, a heater coupled to the controller and spaced from the web for heating said web to a sublimation temperature to sublimate the at least one sublimation dye, at least one sensor for sensing a web temperature, and the controller energizing the heater in response to the web temperature to maintain the web temperature at substantially the sublimation temperature.
Still another object of this invention provides a sublimation station comprising a frame, a heater driveably mounted on the frame, the heater comprising a heating area for receiving a web having at least one sublimation dye; the heater being in spaced relation to the web and heating the web to a sublimation temperature to sublimate the at least one sublimation dye, a controller coupled to the heater for controlling operation of the heater, at least one sensor coupled to the controller for sensing a web temperature and generating a web temperature signal in response thereto, and the controller energizing the heater in response to the web temperature signal to maintain the web temperature at substantially the sublimation temperature.
Yet another object of this invention comprises printing system for printing a plurality of labels, the system comprising a printing station for applying at least one sublimable dye to at least one side of the web, a sublimation station situated downstream of the printing station, the sublimation station comprising a controller for controlling operation of the sublimation station, a heater coupled to the controller and spaced from the web for heating the web to a sublimation temperature to sublimate the at least one sublimable dye on the web, at least one sensor for sensing a web temperature, and the controller energizing the heater in response to the sensed web temperature to maintain the web temperature at substantially the sublimation temperature.
Still another object of this invention comprises a method for sublimating at least one sublimation dye on a web comprising the steps of moving a heater from a park position to an operating position at which the heater is in spaced relation to the web, sensing a web temperature, and feeding the web through the heater, and energizing the heater to heat the web to a desired sublimation temperature to sublimate the dye.
Yet another object of this invention comprises a method for printing labels comprising the steps of printing at least one sublimable dye on a web of material as the web moves through a printing station; the sublimable dye defining a plurality of label patterns, sublimating the at least one sublimable dye using a heater in spaced relation to the web of material, the heater being continuously energized to provide sufficient heat to sublimate the at least one sublimable dye, and cutting the web of material to provide a plurality of labels.
Still another object of this invention comprises a method for printing a plurality of labels comprising at least one sublimation dye, the method comprising the steps of printing at least one sublimation dye on at least one side of a web to define the plurality of labels, driving a heater into operative and spaced relationship with the web, sensing a web temperature with a first sensor and energizing the heater in response to the sensed web temperature in order to maintain the web temperature within a desired sublimation temperature range as the web is fed past the heater.
Yet another object of this invention comprises a printing system comprising a printer for printing at least one sublimation dye on a web as the web is fed through the printer, a sublimation station for subliming and diffusing the at least one sublimation dye on the web as it moves through the sublimation station, the sublimation station comprising a frame, a heater assembly driveably mounted on the frame and moveable between a park position and an operating position during which the heater assembly is spaced from the web and may heat the web; the heater assembly being energized continuously while in the operating position, a drive motor for driving the heater assembly between the park and operating positions, a sensor for sensing a temperature of the web as the web is being fed through the heater assembly and generating a sensed temperature signal in response thereto, a controller for controlling operation of the printer and the sublimation station, the controller energizing the drive motor to drive the heater assembly between the park position and the operating position and controlling the heater assembly to maintain the web within a sublimation temperature range in response to the sensed temperature as the web moves past the heater assembly.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.